Children of Bodom

Children of Bodom is a Finnish heavy metal band from Espoo, Finland, formed in 1993. As of 2009, the band consists of guitarist and vocalist Alexi Laiho, guitarist Roope Latvala, keyboardist Janne Wirman, bassist Henkka Seppälä, and drummer Jaska Raatikainen.

There is some contention regarding the band’s genre classification, however in general the band’s musical style has been described as melodic death metal. The band’s name is derived from the Lake Bodom murders. The lyrics of Children of Bodom’s songs are written in English and are most often concerned with the subjects of death, personal struggles, war and the Lake Bodom murders. Recent albums have seen a shift to more antagonistic lyrics (songs such as “You’re Better Off Dead” and “Hate Me”) and a more straight-forward heavy metal style.